Corn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pantherophis, Species: Pantherophis guttatus
Native to the southeastern and central regions of the United States, ranging from New Jersey south to Florida and west to Louisiana and parts of Kentucky.
Look up Corn Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pantherophis, Species: Pantherophis guttatus
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, though local populations face threats from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional killing due to human fear.
Physical Description
Displays bright orange to red ground coloration with large reddish-orange blotches edged in black along the dorsal surface. The head is distinct from the neck with a characteristic spear-point or dart-like marking on the crown. Scales are weakly keeled, and the body is moderately slender with a slightly flattened belly.
Size & Dimensions
Estimated specimen length is approximately 90 to 120 cm. Typical adult size ranges from 61 to 182 cm in total length.
Habitat
Found in overgrown fields, forest openings, trees, palmetto flatwoods, and abandoned or rural buildings. Typically occupies terrestrial to semi-arboreal microhabitats from sea level up to elevations of around 1,000 meters.
Diet & Feeding
Preys primarily on small rodents, birds, bats, and occasionally lizards or amphibians. Utilizes an active foraging strategy combined with constriction to subdue prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous species that typically breeds in the spring. Females lay clutches ranging from 10 to 30 eggs in concealed, humid locations such as rotting logs, leaf litter, or underground burrows during the summer months.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) due to similar reddish-brown coloration and blotched patterns. Distinguished from copperheads by a round pupil, slender body, lack of heat-sensing facial pits, and a patterned belly.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, though local populations face threats from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional killing due to human fear.
Cultural Significance
Highly valued in agriculture and suburban areas for natural rodent control. Frequently kept and bred in captivity, resulting in numerous morphs within the pet trade.
Notable Features
Known for their gentle demeanor, excellent climbing ability, and complex checkerboard pattern on the ventral scales resembling old-fashioned corn kernels, from which their common name is derived.